


A Prior Claim

by Aria_Lerendeair



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Consort Trials, Getting Together, Jace Catches Feelings, Jace is mildly allergic to feelings, M/M, Meliorn is King of the Seelies, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 11:13:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21373213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: Jace understood why Meliorn had called a halt to their "Book Club" after he was named King of the Seelies.  He's okay with it.  He really was.  Except then he's being told that he is going to apply to be his Consort by Alec and Magnus and he has a trial to pass and he needs to tell Meliorn how he feels.Easy, right?
Relationships: Meliorn/Jace Wayland, side Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 13
Kudos: 182
Collections: Tentacletober





	A Prior Claim

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic is a result of a prompt from the AMAZING [Lynne-Monstr](https://lynne-monstr.tumblr.com/), who, of course, answered the following ask and [I COULDN'T RESIST THIS OKAY.](https://lynne-monstr.tumblr.com/post/188564095224/what-are-meliorns-true-powers-tho-is-it)

Jace fell into the easy rhythm of training like he’d never left it. Of course, everything was different now, but some things would always remain the same. Losing himself in the steady jab, jab, duck, jab, jab of the punching bag was comforting in a way that few things were. He didn’t have to train Simon, or any other Downworlders today, nor did he have patrol, but he couldn’t take a break. He couldn’t.

  
“Izzy and Simon are both worried about you.“ 

  
Jace huffed out a laugh and glanced over his shoulder at Alec, standing in the doorway of the training room and refocused on the punching bag in front of him. "They worry too much." 

  
Alec snorted and pushed himself off the doorframe, walking towards Jace, carrying two Bo staffs. He tossed one to his parabatai, heading towards the middle of the room. "Something you’re working through?”

  
“Nope,” Jace lied, and even as the word left his mouth, it felt sour. How long had he spent trying not to lie, no matter how easy it came to him. It had always left him feeling uncomfortable, that he’d had the ability and-

  
Alec’s legs swept under his and sent him crashing to the floor and Jace stared up at the ceiling. That was a guaranteed way to make sure Alec worried. He pushed himself to his feet and grinned. "You sure you want to do this old man?“ 

  
Alec raised his eyebrows. "I’m not the one who just got knocked on his ass because he was daydreaming. Let’s see if you can keep your attention for more than five minutes and then we’ll talk." 

  
Training with Alec felt like coming home and Jace grinned, reveling in it. Alec had clearly been training with someone, probably Magnus, in Alicante, because there were a few moves in his repertoire that hadn’t been there a few months before. They were still evenly matched, they always had been, and when Jace knocked the staff out of Alec’s hands, they both grinned at each other, a fine sheen of sweat on them both. 

  
"You sure about being able to keep up with me?” he teased. 

  
“Well,” Alec said with a laugh, picking the bo staff up, twirling it in his arms before settling into a defensive position. “I’ve never worried about keeping up with you in the past. Now it’s just helping you work through whatever is in your head." 

  
~!~

_  
It had come out of the blue, quiet words whispered in a bedroom silent except for the noises of the forest. "We need to stop our meetings." _

_  
Jace had remembered feeling like he was tumbling, the rug pulled out from under him. It was the same sensation when he’d lost Clary, but a hundred times worse, because he hadn’t wanted to hope, but it had been easy, surprisingly easy to fall into bed with-_

  
~!~

  
"Jace?” Alec asked, staring at his brother, at the way his face abruptly crumpled and his eyes were far away. He could see why Simon and Izzy were worried, especially if Jace was losing himself in his thoughts that easily. 

  
Jace shook himself, hard and banished the memory without another thought. He grinned at Alec. "Well, if you’re going to help me work through what’s in my head, you’d better do some actual work.“ 

  
Alec lowered the staff, studying Jace for a long, pointed moment. It didn’t take him long to make an obvious statement. "Something is wrong." 

  
Jace forced himself to laugh. "Something is always wrong, Alec. Or have you not noticed that our lives are incredibly fucked up on a good day?" 

  
"Jace,” Alec said, dropping his voice, stepping closer. “What happened?”

  
Jace shook his head. “Nothing happened, Alec, don’t be paranoid." He had to hide, had to deflect, just a little bit longer, it wouldn’t be long now, he’d get over this and move on. 

  
~!~

_  
The worst part, Jace thought as he watched him carefully replace his clothing, his armor, giving him another look before he had taken his leave, was that he had become used to the idea. To him staying, and he’d been tossing the idea of a more permanent arrangement around in his mind. He remembered how happy Alec had been when he’d finally been public with who he wanted and his relationship, now that he’d had it, was intoxicating. _

_  
But it wasn’t meant to be for them. It never was. He was meant to have only small snatches of happiness, but it would have to be enough. It would have to be. _

_  
Or so he had to tell himself. The only alternative was to fall apart, and he couldn’t afford that. _

  
~!~

  
Alec huffed and reached out to ruffle Jace’s hard, tugging his brother into his arms for a hug, squeezing him tight. "You don’t look like nothing happened,” he said quietly. 

  
It had been a lot of nothing. A whole lot of nothing. Nothing that made him want to fall apart if he thought about it for too long, but he needed to move on. There was so much more than just them at stake, and he never was good at being selfish. 

  
“It doesn’t matter,” Jace said, instead. Hoping that the small detail would be enough to satisfy Alec. Instead it only seemed to make him more determined. 

  
“It does if it has you looking like that, Jace,” Alec said, hugging him again. “I’ve never seen your focus so shot. Tell me what’s going on, or I’ll tell Izzy you aren’t fit for field duty." 

  
Jace narrowed his eyes at Alec. "You wouldn’t dare." 

  
Alec raised both of his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. "You want to try me? After that display earlier?” he waved to the staff Jace was holding. 

  
Jace hunched his shoulders and turned away from Alec. “It doesn’t matter,” he repeated. And it hadn’t. 

  
“Fine,” Alec breathed out as he sat down in the middle of the training room. “This about your book club meetings with Meliorn?” 

  
Jace jolted, staring at Alec with wide eyes. “W-what?” 

  
Alec stared back at Jace steadily, smirking. “You’re not nearly as subtle as you think you are. When Izzy told me you were sneaking around, I put two and two together and came up with four.” 

  
Jace flopped onto the floor next to Alec and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “It didn’t mean anything.” 

  
“Except it did?” Alec guessed. 

  
“I thought it might,” Jace admitted quietly, staring at the ceiling. “That there might be something…” he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, he has his duties to his people, and I need to focus and move on.” 

  
Alec hummed consideringly. “Do you think he wanted more?” 

  
Jace opened his mouth, and then shut it, his teeth clacking together, looking to the side of the room. “I didn’t know what he wanted.” He hadn’t, not really. But he’d been trying to learn. To figure out when Meliorn had needed laughter, or touch, or silence, or bruised knuckles. 

  
“Did you ask?” Alec prodded gently. 

  
“No,” Jace shook his head. “How could I? When he was, well. When he was made King, he, we, he told me we needed to stop.” 

  
Alec thought about that, studying Jace. “Did you tell him it meant more? What you had with him?” 

  
“No,” Jace said, shaking his head. “And after everything happened, there was no point.” 

  
“What about now?” Alec asked. 

  
Jace blinked and scowled. “What do you mean about now?” 

  
“Do you still want more?” 

  
Jace sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. “Alec, it doesn’t-” 

  
“Jace,” Alec interrupted. “Answer my question.” 

  
“Yeah,” Jace whispered, staring at the floor. “Yeah, Alec. I do.” 

  
Alec pushed himself to his feet. “All right then. We have work to do. Go shower.” 

  
Jace blinked and stared up at Alec, taking his hand, allowing himself to be pulled upright. “We have, wait what?” 

  
Alec gave Jace a shove and pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing quickly. “Go shower!” he ordered, turning his attention to the phone. 

  
Jace frowned and scowled at Alec, forcing himself to his feet, walking away as Alec started to talk to what sounded like Magnus on the phone. “Alec…” 

  
“Jace!” Alec growled, turning to point at the door. “Go. Shower! Or we’re not going to help you!” 

  
Bewildered, Jace headed for his room, and showered, quickly, rolling his eyes when the sound of Alec and Magnus in his room debating in his room joined him not long after. Whatever the hell they were planning, he’d need to tell them that there was no need, it wasn’t his first time dealing with heartbreak. 

  
“Trust me, Alexander, this will be perfect!” 

  
“Jace isn’t gonna go for it,” Alec warned. 

  
“He will when Meliorn has to stop himself from jumping him when he’s wearing it,” Magnus shot back. 

  
Jace stepped out of the shower, leaning against the door of his shower as he glared at the other two men in his bedroom. “Want to clue me in on what you’re doing?” 

  
“You’re going to put yourself forward as the primary candidate for Seelie King Consort. You’re lucky, Meliorn has been dragging things out, hasn’t been able to select a candidate, or they haven’t passed the Trials,” Magnus said, snapping his fingers with a considering hum. 

  
Jace took a second to process that and blinked. “I’m going to…what?” 

  
Alec turned to Jace and tossed a pair of boxers at him with a grin. “You’re going to go get your Book Club buddy back. And we’re going to help, well, Magnus is, since I know shit about this stuff, but I’m here to strong-arm you into whatever he recommends.” 

  
Jace fought down a laugh as Magnus turned to him with a serious, appraising look. “What in the angel’s name are you both talking about?” 

  
“We don’t have a lot of time, Alexander,” Magnus warned. 

  
Alec took a step closer to Jace. “We have a way for you to be with Meliorn. Within the rules and boundaries of the Seelies. There’s a Trial by Combat, but,” he grinned. “We didn’t think you’d have any problems with that.” 

  
Jace quashed down the part of his heart that leapt at the idea. “Why didn’t he tell me about this?” 

  
“Well,” Alec cleared his throat and looked towards Magnus. “I think it’s partly that he didn’t know how you felt and-” 

  
“That he perhaps thought you were a bit commitment phobic?” Magnus offered, holding up a jacket to measure against Jace before he tugged on the fabric, using his magic to adjust the fitting. 

  
“Okay that’s fair,” Jace muttered, looking between Alec and Magnus. “So what’s involved in being a Consort?” 

  
Alec looked to Magnus. 

  
Magnus took a deep breath. “I’ll explain while I get you ready, or we’re not going to get there in time.” 

  
Jace nodded, stepping closer to Magnus. 

  
~!~

  
Jace did his absolute best not to focus on what he was about to do, instead looking at his brother as they walked through a portal towards the Seelie realm. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, and he knew, he knew this is what Alec had felt like stepping off the altar and towards Magnus. Who would have known he’d be doing his own walk more than a year later. 

  
“Stop being nervous,” Alec said, giving Jace a punch in the arm. "It’s going to be fine, you don’t need to worry.“ 

  
"Right,” Jace said with a firm nod. "Trial by combat, to be determined, but I shouldn’t have a problem with that. Then I…“

  
"Then,” Magnus said, glancing over at Jace as he gestured for him to step through the portal. "You make your case.“ 

  
"Right,” Jace said again. "That’s the part I’m nervous about.“ 

  
"Why?” Magnus asked, closing the portal behind them once they were int he Seelie realm. He could feel the shock and surprise at their entrance, but the high court knew they were coming. Knew that there would be a final candidate presenting themselves for consideration. 

  
“I don’t…” Jace frowned. "I’m not good at feelings.“ 

  
Alec sighed and stopped their advancement, dropping both of his hands to Jace’s shoulders, staring at him. "Jace.” 

  
“Alexander, we don’t have a lot of time,” Magnus warned, his eyes going to where the sun was in the sky. 

  
Alec nodded and focused on his parabatai again. "Jace, you are perfectly fine at your feelings. You just need to be honest.“ 

  
Jace sighed. "Alec, what if-”

  
“Stop,” Alec interrupted. "You can’t do that to yourselves. This is what you want and you are going to go after it. You deserve it. You deserve to be happy, and if he is what makes you happy, then dammit Jace, you’re going to get it. Got it?“ he growled. 

  
Jace blinked and huffed out a laugh, pulling Alec into a hug. "All right,” he said, turning to Magnus, squaring his shoulders with a nod. "Let’s go,“ he said. 

  
Magnus fought down a smile and turned, leading the way to where the high court were waiting. 

  
"Magnus Lightwood-Bane,” Meliorn called, raising his eyebrows. "It is a pleasure to welcome you to my home, but I find myself mystified by your message. You said that you had a-“ his eyes caught on Jace, standing behind Alec and Magnus. ”-candidate to present,“ he continued. 

  
"So we do,” Magnus said, giving a bow to the King, his lips quirking. "A candidate with a prior claim, even.“ 

  
Meliorn’s lips gave a brief quirk, and he inclined his head. "He may present himself.” 

  
Jace took a deep breath and strode forward, hoping against hope that he didn’t look like a fool in the outfit that Magnus had picked out for him, the dark blue jacket with the pink flowers curling over it. It had been fitting, according to Magnus, and now that he could see the flower petals floating idly in the air, he knew why. 

  
“Shadowhunter,” Meliorn said with a brief incline of his head, watching Jace mimic the motion. "Please, introduce yourself.“ 

  
Jace smiled, looking around the court, inclining his head to the other council members, his mind swimming with everything Magnus had told him. This part was almost ritualistic, and he had to make sure he got it right. 

  
"My name is Jace Wayland, and I am here to request the opportunity to participate in a Trial by Combat for the right to place myself in consideration for your Consort.” 

  
If Meliorn was surprised, he didn’t show it, but Jace could see him sit up just a little bit straighter, and his eyes were bright and shining. 

  
“Shadowhunters are not appropriate candidates-”

  
Meliorn held up a hand, looking over to his council member, frowning. "May I remind you who has presented this candidate. In our new world, not only should he be considered, but perhaps in the future, this could become more normalized.“ 

  
Jace smiled and kept his head up, staring at Meliorn until their eyes met again and he felt the weight of his gaze. He grinned, determined. He wasn’t going to let them down. Now he just had to pass the Trial, whatever it was. 

  
"I will allow him to proceed with the Trial. Shadowhunter, you should know that none of your weapons, including your stele, will be allowed,” Meliorn said. 

“Very well,” Jace said, inclining his head. Depending on what the Trial was, he’d hide the fact that he didn’t need the stele to activate his runes until he absolutely needed to. That’d be better for everyone, since it wasn’t a secret he wanted to spread around if he could avoid it. 

  
Meliorn hummed. "Start the Trial.“ 

  
Large vines snapped into place around him and Jace carefully removed his jacket, and the bowtie around his neck, resting them on the ground behind him, moving towards the center of the arena. Whatever it was going to be, he’d be ready. 

  
~!~

  
Alec glanced over at Magnus, standing where he could easily see Jace readying himself for whatever was about to come. "What do they actually do for Trial by combat?” he asked, keeping his voice soft. "Is it demons?“ 

  
Magnus shook his head and opened his mouth, about to explain when there was a sudden screech from the arena. 

  
Jace had only a second to register whatever the creature was in front of him before he he leapt out of the way, staring at it with wide eyes. He’d never seen anything like it before, covered in vines and shifting leaves, angry red eyes staring at him. 

  
"Shit,” he swore, dodging another swipe from the creature, grabbing onto the vines, using them to swing until he could plant both his feet into the creature’s chest, sending it stumbling backward. He looked around, studying the arena. He needed a weapon, but there was nothing more than the boundaries of the arena and the dirt on the ground. 

  
Magnus had said that the trial was more than just fighting. It was an assessment, of sorts, of his ability to be worthy of a Consort position, one that would give him voice and power in the Seelie Kingdom. Which meant that this was a strategic fight as much as as it was a physical one. 

  
“Okay,” Jace muttered to himself, dancing a few steps back, his eyes tracking the creature as it moved, pacing across from him. "It’s made of plants, so obvious weakness is fire, right?“ But where the hell was he going to get fire like this? 

  
His fingers itched to be holding a Seraph blade, but there were no weapons allowed. _Wait_. 

  
Jace looked up in shock at Meliorn, where he was waiting, watching. _His_ weapons hadn’t been allowed, but that meant… He looked around the arena again and towards the vines forming the barrier around him. Jace ducked under a swipe from the creature and pressed his hands to the barrier.

  
He could splinter this, make it into a weapon, but would it be effective against the thing behind him? Jace turned to look at it again, taking a few precious seconds to study it properly before it advanced on him. There was no time limit, either he passed the trial or he didn’t, Magnus had told him that, so he had time. 

  
Jace froze and nearly snacked himself upside the head. _Time_. Seelies were immortal. Of course. Which meant that they would take their time, study the creature, find a weakness and then exploit it. Jace turned his focus back to the creature and baited it towards the center of the circle. 

  
"Ah,” Magnus said softly, his eyes lighting up. "He figured it out.“ 

  
Alec’s eyes darted over to Magnus and back to where his parabatai was using the creature’s wide swipes to climb up and onto it, before leaping off and re-engaging. "He isn’t doing anything, though.” 

  
“Yes, he is,” Magnus corrected. "Watch him. What is he doing?“ 

  
Alec huffed at the correction and turned his attention back to Jace, who he watched grab one of the vines with his hand, straining against it before he pulled hard enough to almost have the creature off balance before he let it go. "I would have said that he’s looking for weaknesses, but he has to have found something by now-”

  
“Not all of us,” Magnus said, smiling at Alexander. "Fight harder, not smarter, my darling. The challenge isn’t necessarily to defeat the creature with brute force as much as it is to defeat it by assessment.“ 

  
Alec breathed out slowly. "That’s never really been Jace’s forte.” 

  
“No,” Magnus agreed. "But, he has figured it out. Now he just needs to continue to do what he is.“ 

  
"Right,” Alec muttered. "That’s going to go over wonderfully, I’m sure.“ 

  
Jace was getting tired, and he knew that activating his runes would help, but he wanted to try to do this right, to do it without them. But he was a shadowhunter, and if he was going to be Meliorn’s Consort, it would be as a shadowhunter. Using the momentum of the creature against itself, Jace gave it another heavy shove into the wall, and took a second to focus himself. 

** _  
Strength. Speed. Deflect. Accuracy. _ **

  
Rune after rune flared gold on his body as Jace activated them. Another dodge of the monster and Jace activated a few final ones and grinned, facing the monster, the runes shining on his body, through his shirt, before they started to fade. He could hear the voices outside the arena talking, but he had something he needed to accomplish first. 

  
His enhanced vision caught sight of it at first. Behind the red eyes was a gem. Jace grunted as one of the vines managed to catch his shoulder as he rolled under it, but now he was sure. The creature wasn’t a creature at all. It was enchanted. Which meant that killing it like normal wasn’t going to work. 

  
Jace smirked and tossed Meliorn a confident look, winking at the raised eyebrows it got from him. He knew the name of the game now. Now he just had to bide his time. He turned back to the monster and circled it slowly, waiting for an opening, the red eyes from the gem shining. 

  
"Come on,” Jace taunted, gesturing the monster forward. He waited until it dashed at him before he leapt, grabbing it around the neck, using his momentum to land on its shoulders. He pressed his fingers under the thick cover of leaves he could feel and wrapped his hand around the gem, yanking it out of the creature. 

  
Just like that, it fell apart under him and Jace landed on his feet as the creature became nothing more than a pile of leaves and vines, and the edges of the arena disappeared as though they had never been there. 

  
Magnus strode forward, ignoring the look from Alexander and picked up the jacket and bowtie from the ground, reaching Jace, offering it to him. "If I may,“ he said, holding out the jacket, cleaning the sweat and dirt off of Jace as he gestured for the shadowhunter to turn to the council. 

  
"Jace Wayland has passed the Trial,” Meliorn said, a faint smile on his lips. 

  
“It was an unfair challenge! His runes were activated!” One of the council members protested. 

  
Jace felt the full weight of the Seelies present turn to look at him and he lifted his head high. He would not be ashamed of who he was or where he had come from, not anymore. "I activated them,“ he said. 

  
Meliorn raised both of his eyebrows. "Without your stele?” 

  
Jace nodded. "Without my stele,“ he confirmed. "It is an ability I have possessed for some time now, but obviously not one I chose to advertise for tactical purposes.”

  
“Wise,” Meliorn praised. "He has abided by our rules, there shall be no further protests about his legitimacy as a candidate.“ 

  
Jace felt his heart stop and then resume pounding twice as hard. Now he had to do the hard part. He had to convince Meliorn and the whole council about why he was a fit Consort for their new King. 

  
"You may present your case, Jace,” Meliorn said, gesturing him forward. 

  
Jace squared his shoulders and stepped in closer, stopping at the steps before the dias that Meliorn was reclining on. He smiled faintly and closed his eyes. He was doing this for a reason. He could see the tension in Meliorn’s shoulders, and the curiosity there, and that meant he had some questions that he needed to answer. 

  
“I have a prior claim on the King’s heart,” Jace said, keeping it simple, meeting Meliorn’s eyes, watching them widen a small fraction. "So I am here to claim a place by his side as his Consort.“ 

  
"A shadowhunter presumes-”

  
Meliorn held up a hand, silencing the councilwoman. "He is allowed to present his claim without interruption and without comment from those present.“ His eyes slid over to her. "May I remind you that this is **my** decision, and he speaks to me, not to the council. You are present at my discretion.” He turned his attention back to Jace and gestured for him to continue. 

  
Jace fought down a smile as he watched Meliorn talk circles around the council. The Seelies had chosen their King better than they had ever imagined. He straightened his spine and forced himself to continue. 

  
“In regards to my legitimacy, or concerns over my allegiances,” Jace began, glancing back at Alec and Magnus. "I would point out that in our changing world, things can be different than they were. This would be no different. I would be loyal to my King first, as he…“ he paused and forced himself to keep talking, getting the words out. "As he holds my heart.” 

  
Meliorn sat up, his eyes intent on Jace, now. 

  
“Most importantly, as his Consort,” Jace continued, forcing himself to keep his voice steady, his hands still by his sides. "I would be responsible for his well-being, both physical and emotional and while,“ he paused. "While I have much to learn of the ways of the Seelie, I am willing and _determined_ to learn.” 

  
Jace met Meliorn’s eyes again and smiled, remembering all of the times he had seen that look directed at him. He’d feared it once, what it meant when Meliorn looked at him like that. Now he knew. 

  
“I’m not perfect,” Jace continued, spreading his hands, grinning faintly as he heard Alec groan in the background. “I’m impulsive, sometimes hot-headed and I know I’m going to piss off at least a few politicians if you pick me.” He could see Meliorn fighting down a grin at the statement and kept going. “But there is no life I would put before my King’s, not even my own.” 

  
There were specific words that he needed to end with and Jace glanced back at Alec and Magnus and then turned back to where Meliorn was watching him with unbridled curiosity. 

  
“I have had a chance to get to know the King prior to him becoming so,” Jace said, his throat going dry. “I know that in many ways we bring unexpected balance to each other and that, though I might have been afraid to admit it at the time, we worked well together, better than either of us ever expected.” He straightened his shoulders and smiled. 

  
“I am no longer afraid. I see the happiness my brother has gained in following his heart, and I am here to do the same. I will fight for a chance at that happiness and that is why, with all due respect, my King, I present my claim to be your Consort.” 

  
Meliorn’s lips twitched and he nodded his head. “Thank you for your words, Jace.” 

  
Jace inclined his head, his heart pounding. Now it was up to Meliorn and there was nothing he could do but wait, meeting his eyes. He didn’t know how much time he passed, that he did his best not to fidget during, but then Meliorn was standing. 

  
“I have made my decision,” Meliorn declared. 

  
Jace held his breath, staring at Meliorn, at the picture he made, a crown around his head, his posture regal and commanding. 

  
Meliorn smiled faintly. “Jace Wayland, you will be my new Consort. The ceremony will take place on the next full moon.” 

  
Jace’s eyes went wide and he grinned, bright and wide, feeling the echo of his happiness from Alec through their bond. He heard Magnus clear his throat and jumped, remembering his role. He bowed. “You honor me, my King.” 

  
Meliorn descended the remainder of the steps to Jace, reaching out to take his arm. “Come with me.” 

  
Jace let Meliorn tug him away from the council and the audience until they were in a room of sorts, open to the sky, but gave them the sense of privacy that he needed. “Time to consummate the not-marriage?” he asked, grinning. 

  
Meliorn didn’t comment, but his lips did twitch briefly. He reached out and trailed his fingers along the flowerbuds decorating Jace’s jacket. “I assume this is Magnus’ work?” 

  
“Yeah,” Jace said. “He got me all trussed up. I would have just shown up in my shadowhunter gear.” 

  
Meliorn chuckled. “My council would have been appropriately horrified. But, I confess, I do like this jacket on you. It enhances your beauty.” 

  
Jace felt his breath catch, because there it was again, a compliment that shouldn’t make him want to fall apart. “The crown suits you more,” he managed, licking his lips. 

  
“Why thank you,” Meliorn said, reaching out to slide his fingers under Jace’s jacket, going to push it off his shoulders. “Now, perhaps we can spend a few moments reacquainting ourselves?” 

  
Jace nodded, stepping in close to Meliorn, and then he was being kissed until his head was spinning with pleasure and he could feel his clothes being tugged impatiently off. He broke the kiss after enough time to glance down at the tentacles he could see curling around his legs, in the process of undoing his belt buckle. “I’ve missed this.” His eyes darted up to Meliorn again. “Missed you,” he added. 

  
“There was a time when they terrified you,” Meliorn said, giving Jace a push back to the soft bed of leaves and flowers behind him. 

  
Jace huffed a laugh as he was sprawled onto the plant bed and two tentacles immediately were immediately unbuttoning his shirt. “Well, when you said I’d know your true powers once I was in bed, I confess I wasn’t expecting this.” 

  
Meliorn chuckled and joined Jace on the bed of flowers. “That is true. Once I explained you did calm down considerably.” 

  
Jace hummed, leaning up to steal a kiss from Meliorn, his heart slamming a happy staccato against his ribs. The feeling of rightness settled into him all over again and he smiled, even as a few determined tentacles worked to remove the rest of his clothes. 

  
“Then,” Meliorn continued, a smirk growing on his lips as he made quick work of the remainder of Jace’s clothing. “I think you learned to like them very much, didn’t you?” 

  
“I’m not,” Jace groaned as a tentacle wrapped around his thigh, encouraging him to spread his legs wide. “Going to dignify that with an answer.” 

  
Meliorn hummed, leaning in to suck a mark on Jace’s collarbone. A quick twist of a tentacle and Jace gasped, arching into him with a shiver. “You don’t need to answer me with words when your body screams the answer, Jace.” 

  
Jace shivered and spread his legs wider. “Oh, shut up,” he grumbled, reaching out to tug Meliorn in for another kiss. 

  
“No more sweet words for me? Did you use them all up earlier?” Meliorn teased, wrapping one tentacle around Jace’s cock, giving him a slow stroke, just to watch Jace arch and gasp. The shadowhunter was beautiful, porcelain beauty waiting to be defiled. 

  
Jace’s eyes went dark and he smirked, reaching up to tangle his fingers in Meliorn’s hair, pulling him in closer. “Do I need to woo you with sweet words, my King?” he whispered. 

  
“I cherish every word given to me by you, my shadowhunter,” Meliorn said, tracing his fingertips along Jace’s cheekbone. 

  
Groaning, Jace pulled Meliorn into another kiss, this one desperate, and by the time they pulled apart, he knew it was only a matter of time before they got carried away. He traced Meliorn’s face with his fingertips and then smiled. 

  
“You have my heart, my King,” he whispered. “I’m yours.” 

  
This time when Meliorn kissed him, it felt like coming home. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
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